A summary of our group so far

Taunton Home Education group was first established in the summer of 2010. Until then there was a home education group in Oake near Wellington, a very busy and oversubscribed group in Chard, but nothing much else for people in and around Taunton.

A Yahoo discussion list and Facebook page were created for the group and a few people mentioned an interest in a regular group. Several meetings at the park ensued, and later on, the search for a suitable hall began.

Our weekly gatherings started at the beginning of 2011 based in a hall in the centre of Taunton and on alternate weeks at Fyne Court (a free National Trust Property at Broomfield). Most of the children in our group are young, so a lot of the sessions are based around free play, generally getting to know each other and starting to form friendships (both children and adults!).

The children have enjoyed art and crafts activities, planting pepper plants with a representative from Taunton in Bloom, planting some donated young trees at a Forest School site near Langport, and walks and picnics at Fyne Court. 

Mid-spring, we decided to meet outdoors for the rest of the spring and the summer, meeting at different places for a couple of weeks each.  We have visited a variety of places around the Taunton area: the RSPB reserve at West Sedgemoor, the Willows and Wetlands Centre, Longrun Meadow (near French Weir Park, Taunton), the Spinney Wood (Kingston St Mary), Langford Heathfield Nature Reserve, Thurlbear Woods and Quarrylands, and more of Fyne Court.

We've had many picnics (most of them dry!), we've built dens, got lost in the woods, played in a stream and under some lovely willow wigwams and searched for oil beetles. We've taken part in the Big Butterfly Count and learned to identify a few species of butterflies, we've had some great walks and have become familiar with more beautiful places in the area, and have generally been developing friendships while out in the fresh air!

We will resume our meetings in a hall from the end of September. Our main focus will be on lots more free play, along with some crafts activities and simple experiments, and anything else that parents wish to organise!